Pokémon's childish reputation is hard to dispute, but at least one Pokémon movie tried to subvert those expectations, according to its writer, Takeshi Shudo. In fact, the movie tackled some dark themes considering its audience, to an extent that even surprised Shudo.

The movie in question is Pokémon the Movie 2000, also known as "The Power of One" or, in Japan, "Lugia's Explosive Birth." The movie, of course, centers on a then-newly introduced Pokémon, Lugia, which Shudo played a large part in creating, and which he saw as a feminine and almost divine being. Shudo became very obsessed with Lugia later in his life, particularly shortly before his tragic death in 2010. As a result, he shared quite a lot of details about the movie's production on his blog, providing some interesting insight into just how Pokémon's second movie came to be.

Pokémon the Movie 2000 Was a Darker Affair

The Movie Deals With Some Heavy Themes

In translations of Shudo's blog posts on the website Lava Cut Content, Shudo is quoted as saying, "Looking back — even though the second Pokémon movie was intended for kids — it subtly dealt with topics hardly meant for children, such as “the existence of self” and “coexistence.” Maybe a normal person would think it’s better not to craft a story with such heavy themes, because children wouldn’t enjoy it. But it’s almost like I was possessed when I decided on these themes — I just gave in to the temptation. I should point out, I’ve never been the type to write so-called 'children’s stories.'"

It's interesting that Shudo didn't think of himself as writing for children in particular; he just wanted to tell a good story, and didn't care much about who would appreciate it. Shudo indicates later that the script went through many revisions, including a first draft which didn't mention Ash at all. He faced a lot of creative limitations working under the Pokémon Company, which caused endless amounts of frustration as he couldn't write the story as he wanted. However, he worked within these limitations to construct the story that fans ultimately got, maintaining these darker themes.

Perhaps that's part of why Lugia was so precious to Shudo: it represented the ideal of coexistence.

For Shudo, "the existence of self" and "coexistence" were incredibly important ideas. Whereas he would typically expect that people discovering themselves would usually lead to conflict, he noted that the movie goes in the opposite direction, proving that people can overcome their differences and coexist together. The theme is obviously very present with the conflict between the Legendary Birds, and Lugia exists to bring harmony to their conflict. Perhaps that's part of why Lugia was so precious to Shudo: it represented the ideal of coexistence.

How Pokémon the Movie 2000 Was Received

Shudo's Second Pokémon Movie Got Mixed Reviews

In the US, at least, Pokémon the Movie 2000 wasn't particularly well-received by critics; as was the case with the first film, many of them simply didn't understand the concept of Pokémon in general, so the movie was facing an uphill battle all along. Some of the more positive reviews noted the film as "charming," but even those failed to actually mention the major themes of the film that Shudo talks about. To be fair, the movie was substantially changed in the English dub, adding in the entire "chosen one" element from scratch, which harmed some of the bigger themes.

Contemporary Japanese reviews of the film are difficult to come by, particularly in English. It seems the film was a bit more successful in Japan in general, but it's hard to say how effectively Shudo's theming came across. It must have been successful enough, though, as Shudo was given the responsibility of writing the third movie, Spell of the Unown, as well. Despite the reviews, the film is still quite beloved by Pokémon fans across the globe, who appreciated the darker themes and increased action and peril.

How Pokémon the Movie 2000 Stacks Up with Other Pokémon Films

Pokémon the Movie 2000 is Often Considered One of Pokémon's Best

Compared to the first film, Pokémon the Movie 2000 does have some shortfalls; the villain is pretty weak, and he and Ash barely even really interact throughout the film. The message and themes also ended up more muddled in the English version, even compared to what happened to the first movie. Despite all this, Pokémon the Movie 2000 is widely regarded as one of the better Pokémon films, beating out many of the later entries.

The movie's theme of coexistence would go on to be a major theme across many of the subsequent movies. It would also begin a long trend of movie villains trying to harness the power of Legendary or Mythical Pokémon for nefarious purposes. The fourth movie, Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, makes for a great example, as that film involves a member of Team Rocket capturing Celebi, which immediately has negative consequences for the natural environment surrounding them. In the movies, at least, big-time Pokémon are essentially forces of nature which humans must coexist with.

It's quite likely that the darker themes that Shudo spoke of are a big part of why Pokémon the Movie 2000 is well-regarded by fans; as they've grown up, they've been able to enjoy the film on new levels, understanding these themes more clearly. The same can't be said for every Pokémon movie out there, which shows just how special this one actually is. It's clear that Shudo put a lot of himself into the film, and cared about it a great deal, even long after its release.

While saying the film is "hardly meant for children" may be a bit of a stretch, Pokémon the Movie 2000 definitely carried with it some darker themes which have helped it to maintain its appeal to Pokémon fans, even as they've aged into adults. It's a shame many of these themes were altered in the English dub, as they could've been far stronger had the film maintained its original script. Alas, that was merely the way of anime movies at the time. Hopefully, Shudo can rest easy knowing that there are still many, many Pokémon fans out there who appreciated his work.